UI Makes Lester Hire Official

[RobHowe]

Iowa Names Tim Lester New Offensive Coordinator

Hawkeyes Make Hiring of Former Western Michigan Coach Official Wednesday afternoon

https://www.si.com/college/iowa/football/iowa-names-tim-lester-new-offensive-coordinator

 

[RobHowe]

BTW, Iowa says there will be an introductory press conference with Lester some time early next week.

You'll have to wait to hear from the new guy.

 

[RobHowe]

 

[Seth53]

View attachment 10679

No "drive to 325" stipulations?

 

[okeefe4prez]

Rod - thanks for the write up. I do think the story would have benefitted from an acknowledgement that even prior to this becoming official, one of the pre-eminent Iowa message boards already had an official fire Tim Lester thread going.

If you are planning on doing a fan reaction story, please feel free to use this quote:

"I'm big mad," was the response of one disgruntled Iowa superfan, OKeefe4Prez on HawkeyeNation. "We could have had anyone we wanted, from Bill Belichick to Ken O'Keefe, and yet we settled for a guy whose team was barely above .500. I don't know what they're smoking behind the walls at Fort Kinnick, but I want to know who the hell they bought it from."

 

[eyekwah]

CBS' Fornelli Likes the Hire

"At Western Michigan, Lester inherited a roster that featured Dwayne Eskridge, who caught 105 passes for 2,139 yards and 14 touchdowns in four seasons under Lester (and he only played in 10 games between 2019-20). He would be taken in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Once he was gone, Lester replaced Eskridge with a low-rated, three-star prospect out of Ohio who was a defensive back named Skyy Moore. Moore had over 800 yards as a freshman and finished with 171 receptions for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns in 30 games before he became a second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Draft."

 

[okeefe4prez]

CBS' Fornelli Likes the Hire

"At Western Michigan, Lester inherited a roster that featured Dwayne Eskridge, who caught 105 passes for 2,139 yards and 14 touchdowns in four seasons under Lester (and he only played in 10 games between 2019-20). He would be taken in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Once he was gone, Lester replaced Eskridge with a low-rated, three-star prospect out of Ohio who was a defensive back named Skyy Moore. Moore had over 800 yards as a freshman and finished with 171 receptions for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns in 30 games before he became a second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Draft."

So the guy only knows how to run a newfangled offense featuring so-called "wide receivers?" Does he know what kind of guys go to Iowa?

 

[CP87]

CBS' Fornelli Likes the Hire

"At Western Michigan, Lester inherited a roster that featured Dwayne Eskridge, who caught 105 passes for 2,139 yards and 14 touchdowns in four seasons under Lester (and he only played in 10 games between 2019-20). He would be taken in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. Once he was gone, Lester replaced Eskridge with a low-rated, three-star prospect out of Ohio who was a defensive back named Skyy Moore. Moore had over 800 yards as a freshman and finished with 171 receptions for 2,482 yards and 16 touchdowns in 30 games before he became a second-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2022 NFL Draft."

That bit about 3-star Skyy Moore makes me think of Jaylen Watson, who according to the recruiting write-ups, was pretty much unguardable as a HS WR. Maybe we need to keep a few of those guys on the offensive side of the ball?

 

[RobHowe]

LLC

Let Lester Cook

 

[hawkinn3]

LLC

Let Lester Cook

Brian fucked up Ramen so can’t get worse.

 

[Teddy]

We now know Marco is a RPO guy, Resar is a RPO guy and now Iowa has haired a RPO OC. I think there will be significant differences in the game plans/plays while still having the strategic goal to eat the clock. I think KF has realized there have been needed changes and changes will be made. You can control the clock when the QB runs or throws to some and especially when you get first downs.

 

[Seth53]

 

[hawkinn3]

We now know Marco is a RPO guy, Resar is a RPO guy and now Iowa has haired a RPO OC. I think there will be significant differences in the game plans/plays while still having the strategic goal to eat the clock. I think KF has realized there have been needed changes and changes will be made. You can control the clock when the QB runs or throws to some and especially when you get first downs.

Stanky leg Cade is definitely not an RPO guy. His options are stand still or be horribly injured.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

Stanky leg Cade is definitely not an RPO guy. His options are stand still or be horribly injured.

Yeah he's not a good fit for that at all... Plus he won't be anywhere close to 100% for spring ball. The other guys will get all those reps. Is it blasphemous to say Lainez could start over Cade day 1? Both will be starting from scratch learning the offense. I'm not predicting it but this spring will be really fascinating to keep track of.

 

[hawkinn3]

Yeah he's not a good fit for that at all... Plus he won't be anywhere close to 100% for spring ball. The other guys will get all those reps. Is it blasphemous to say Lainez could start over Cade day 1? Both will be starting from scratch learning the offense. I'm not predicting it but this spring will be really fascinating to keep track of.

It’s Kirk, we all know who’s starting. Hill is the backup and starts if Cade can’t.

 

[Hawkfnntn]

It’s Kirk, we all know who’s starting. Hill is the backup and starts if Cade can’t.

Seriously if that happens just burn it all to the ground... Hill shouldn't even be on the depth chart. Lester has no loyalty to Cade or especially Hill. I'd like to think new OC and QB coach would have a pretty big say with his depth chart at that position.

And here's the thing we'll find out if you're right or not cause I can't see any way an outsider would have Hill above anyone other then maybe Resar. If Lester does his own evaluation of the Qb room and has Hill at #2 then he's a terrible hire. But I can't see that being the case. If Hill is # 2 it's because KF is absolutely pulling the strings with both hands.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

LLC

Let Lester Cook

T-shirts

"In Tim We Trust"

"What Would Tim Do?"

 

[CP87]

We now know Marco is a RPO guy, Resar is a RPO guy and now Iowa has haired a RPO OC. I think there will be significant differences in the game plans/plays while still having the strategic goal to eat the clock. I think KF has realized there have been needed changes and changes will be made. You can control the clock when the QB runs or throws to some and especially when you get first downs.

I don't think we have any idea if these guys can be successful in the RPO. Are you talking about read-option? I think we have a pretty good idea they could succeed in read-option, but RPO is a different skill set. Processing speed, quick delivery, and accuracy are paramount, much more so than scrambling ability (but scrambling is a plus!).

I think the good things for our QBs is that the reads should be simpler, and the progressions shorter, but they have to be made lightning fast, and the ball has to be out on time and to the right spot.

 

[CP87]

Yeah he's not a good fit for that at all... Plus he won't be anywhere close to 100% for spring ball. The other guys will get all those reps. Is it blasphemous to say Lainez could start over Cade day 1? Both will be starting from scratch learning the offense. I'm not predicting it but this spring will be really fascinating to keep track of.

In Lester's years at WMU, his QB did not run a ton. The QB position generally ran about 5-6 times per game, counting sacks, and from anywhere between 50 - 300 yards per year. In his best offensive seasons his QB ran for <100 yards.

I think he has shown that he will utilize a running QB, and it can be very useful if a QB can scramble away from a mesh point and put a defense in conflict, but that is not a pre-req for a QB in his system.

 

[MelroseHawkins]

I don't think we have any idea if these guys can be successful in the RPO. Are you talking about read-option? I think we have a pretty good idea they could succeed in read-option, but RPO is a different skill set. Processing speed, quick delivery, and accuracy are paramount, much more so than scrambling ability (but scrambling is a plus!).

I think the good things for our QBs is that the reads should be simpler, and the progressions shorter, but they have to be made lightning fast, and the ball has to be out on time and to the right spot.

This is a system for a QB who processes fast. Brock Purdy processes fast and one of the reasons he's been so successful so fast in the NFL.

The system doesn't require a running QB, but as you point out that helps is the QB has that skillset. The system requires smarts and the ability to read numbers at the line of scrimmage than react fast during the play. I think Cade will be successful as he has experience and I think is a pretty smart guy when it comes to the QB position.

This will be a system QB, opposed to a QB with just pure raw talent.